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December 08, 2008

Broadway Goes Green

Two usually disparate parts of my life -- acting and eco-activism -- merged today with the announcement of BROADWAY GOES GREEN, an industry-wide initiative to green up the Great White Way. If I were a character in a musical, I'd be bursting out in song right about now about how thrilling this is to me!

The project is a collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and includes efforts to work more eco-friendly practices into all aspects of Broadway production, from theatre venue operations to the day-to-day running of shows to the creation process. They've started a website www.greenbroadway.com to help people stay informed about the initiative.

Current changes already in progress include replacing marquee lights with more efficient lighting, washing costumes in cold water whenever possible and using re-chargeable batteries in sound equipment.

One of the things that excites me so much about this initiative is that it's another example of how small change enacted on a large scale can make a real difference. Changing the type of batteries used in one wireless mic may not seem like a lot, but multiply that by all the cast members in all the shows, and suddenly that one action has a much larger impact.

I'd love it if Broadway Goes Green could adopt efficient margins for printing scripts, both during the development and production process. If anyone reading this has a contact at the NRDC or to a higher-up on the Broadway production food chain, please forward them this post. Many thanks!